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She was feeling something more than that. A clarity of vision, as if all her senses were slowly sharpening, becoming heightened. It was ever so slight, but she was becoming aware of every part of her body, right down to her toenails. The din of the running trains—

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—lulled her into an almost trance-like state.

“Let’s give that a minute to work its magic,” Nabler said. “I have a little of that every day.” He grinned. “Not available at Costco.”

There was a lightness, too. Was this how it would feel if you were on the moon? Annie thought. Not weightless, but as though there was less of you than there was before.

“Okay,” Nabler said. “Come to me.”

“What?”

He opened his arms wide. The vest filled with railroad patcheswas gone. It was hard to tell whether he was actually wearing anything at all now. Was there a trench coat, as she had imagined? If there was, it was melding with the thin, bristly fur that covered him. She took note of his leathery hands, the long fingers with black nails.

“It’s okay,” he said. “It’s just a hug. No more and no less. Don’t worry.”

She allowed herself to drift into his arms, and as her body touched his she felt overwhelmed with the stench. That fruity potion she could handle, but as he slowly folded his arms around her she was reminded of that first apartment she and John shared. There were rats in the building and the super had put out poison. The creatures had feasted on it and then died in the walls, the stink of their decaying corpses coming through the drywall and the paint, and there wasn’t enough Air Wick in the world to get rid of it.

Annie began to gag.

“It’ll pass, it’ll pass,” Nabler said reassuringly. “Think about what’s to come. Think about the powers you’ll have.”

She could feel it happening as the nausea began to fade. A wave working its way through her, almost like a sexual peak that was slowly growing. She wanted to fight it, but at the same time, she was surrendering. Not because it was pleasurable, although it was, but because she believed she needed to become what he was, up to a point. But she couldn’t go past it. There had to be a sweet spot, where she had some but not all of his power. A stage from which she could return to her real self.

It all depended on her son.

Come on, Charlie.

“It’s wonderful, isn’t it?” Nabler said. “Think of what you’ll be capable of when everything is up and running. When you start sending your books into houses all over the world. It’ll be a bit hit-and-miss at the beginning, getting the balance just right. I wasn’t hittingmy prime with the trains until the fifties. I’ll help you get started before I take my leave.”

“You’ll come back after you take Charlie home?”

“Well, about that,” Nabler said quietly. “I think you’re already far enough along to handle the truth about Charlie.”

Sleepily, Annie said, “What do you mean?”

“I can do a lot of things, Annie, but I can’t make people forget. That’s not in my repertoire. And I’m afraid Charlie can never leave here knowing what he knows, having seen what he’s seen. I’m sure you’re coming to understand that.”

Had they lifted off the floor? Was that possible? Annie moved her feet, as if they were hanging off the end of a chair. She and Nabler, in their embrace, had levitated. Just a few inches, she reckoned, but floating just the same.

“I didn’t want you to hurt him,” she whispered. “But I suppose you have to do what you have to do.”

“You see? You coming around that way, it’s already started, but we have a ways to go yet before you’re there. You’re a soufflé, Annie, rising to perfection, but one misstep and you’ll completely collapse.”

She thought she sensed a door opening and closing, although it couldn’t be heard over the trains.

Yes, yes, she was right. There was someone in the room with them.

“We have company,” Nabler said softly. “It’s okay. Whatever sad little trauma he might experience watching this won’t be with him for long.” And then, annoyedly, he said, “He still looks like the mess he was before.”

“Maybe he came inside to change his clothes,” Annie said dreamily, although she was still hanging on, part of her still in the real world.

“Hi, Mom,” Charlie said, taking a few steps closer. “You’re floating.”

“I know. It feels really strange.”

“I wanted to say goodbye again.”